Mode of contact and mood changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A daily diary study during school closures and re-opened schools

Abstract

The emotional consequences of online social contact in adolescents are a controversial topic. Social interactions and membership in social groups have been identified as essential protection against negative mood. However, different modes of online and offline communication differ in their ability to satisfy the individuals’ need for social closeness. Using a daily diary study, the current work investigated how in-person contact, text messaging, and (video) phone calls were related to adolescents’ mood. Study 1 was conducted during strict school closures in the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany in February 2021 ( N individuals = 290; N observations = 1796; M age = 14.47; 59% girls and 41% boys) and Study 2 in November 2021 after schools had reopened ( N individuals = 160; N observations = 1061; M age = 15.21; 66% girls and 34% boys). Hybrid mixed-effects regression models showed that while in-person contact had the most consistent mood effect, text messaging, and (video) phone calls were also at least partially associated with more positive mood.